Windows of time
by El loopy
Summary: A series of oneshots on the Manga series Dramacon. MattxChriss. BethxRaj.
1. Rain

**Disclaimer: Anything recognised from 'Dramacon' is not mine**

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Rain dream

She knew she was dreaming again, but it was a good dream. It was the recurring one, and she knew exactly what would happen. He caught hold of her arm as she ran through the sheeting rain – rain that wasn't wet. He pulled her close to him as she struggled to break free, angry with him for reasons she'd already forgotten. The rage melted away as he held her against his warm body, wrapping strong arms around her. One hand brushed lightly through her hair and sent tingles through her body as he tilted her head up to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She watched the rain trickle through his hair and down his face, dripping from individual strands. Each detail was as vivid as the memory – the memory which didn't end the way it should have.

Silently she let herself melt under his eyes and reaching up pulled him to her in a searing kiss.

--

Chriss opened her eyes and sighed, shifting under her bedcovers. A dream is beautiful in its moment…but then you have to wake up. Despite it though, Chriss didn't feel that she'd trade it for anything, even if she did wake up feeling empty.

Stretching, she rolled over to reach for her laptop. It was time to update her blog.


	2. Good Morning

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.**

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Good Morning

There was a light tickle against the bare skin of her arm. A soft brush that left her nerves tingling. She stirred a little; frowning in her half sleep like state. Her hands felt coarse fabric beneath the palms and she clutched onto it, curling her fingers around it and burying her head further into it. There was a quiet chuckle and her pillow moved slightly. She felt the gentle press of lips on her forehead and smiled, slowly opening one eye and tilting her head to fix its gaze on Matt.

"Good morning," he whispered to her.

Chriss shut her eye again and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"S'too early," she muttered.

"Any time is too early for you," he commented, wrapping his arms more tightly around her. He rested his chin lightly on her head. "There's no rush…it is only the con after all."

"WHAT?" Chriss sat up sharply and smashed her head against Matt's jaw. He made a grunt of pain as his teeth clicked together but Chriss was already moving, darting crazily around the room, and gathering her things together.

"I can't believe I'm running late again! Beth is going to _kill_ me!"

Matt rubbed at his jaw ruefully, watching her panic with mild amusement. Chriss paused in her mad rush to meet his watching eyes.

"Why are you just sitting there?"

Matt narrowed his eyes at her and glared. Chriss glanced at where she'd head butted him and blushed a little.

"Opps…sorry."

Matt shook his head at her and smiled. Chriss grinned back and then continued in her race to get ready.

She was pulled up short by a hand on her arm.

"Matt! I'm in a hurry!"

Slowly he drew her to him and removed the hairbrush clutched in her hand.

"You need to slow down," he whispered, tossing the brush onto the bed and running his fingers through her hair. "You've got plenty of time." Chriss glared at him.

"No, I don't. Beth is going to…"

Matt cut her off by pressing his lips to hers.

"Slow down," he told her drawing back. Chriss glared at him.

"That was supposed to make me was it?"

Matt grinned and ruffled her hair. "Of course. You do people injuries when you hurry," he said, walking away.

Chriss narrowed her eyes and reached for something to throw.

"Before you throw that clock, better check the time," Matt sat down on the edge of the bed and grinned at her.

Chriss glanced at it and shrieked, dropping it to the floor and diving into the bathroom. Matt laughed but stopped as her head reappeared around the door, shooting him an evil look.

"I'll deal with you later," she said and slammed the door shut.

Matt smiled and lay back on the bed, "Can't wait."


	3. Unplanned

Unplanned

Chriss wrapped her arms around her and curled up on the sofa. A deep shuddering breath wracked her body as she blinked back the film of tears behind her eyes and choked down the lump in her throat. She wanted to not think anymore but each new line of thought circled her straight back to the central one, again and again, until she gave up fighting and just focused on preventing the tears.

The words that were said to her once at one of the cons - the first con where she and Matt had finally got together – echoed around her head, in that same chirpy voice.

'_Not every guy can face an unplanned pregnancy like a man.'_

Chriss picked up a pillow and hugged it tightly to her chest. She'd decided to tell him in _his_ flat so that she could walk out if it came to that. It had not occurred to her that _he_ would be the one to get up and leave.

Anger flashed through her. She contemplated just going and serves him right if he got robbed…but she didn't stir from her curled position.

She had hoped that his reaction would have been different. Happy would have been wonderful, delighted was a little too much to ask. Shock, anger, worry…she'd been prepared for all of them, but not his reaction.

The numbed "how long?" - monotone in a blank face - had been bearable. She'd mumbled "two months" quietly. The short nod of acknowledgement was expected – but then he'd just turned and walked out of the room, walked out the front door and gone.

Chriss had sat in frozen disbelief, waiting for him to come back…that had been several hours ago.

She hadn't cried the whole time, as much as she wanted to. She didn't feel safe enough to cry here if he could walk in and see her. It was strange because at one time this was the only place where it was safe enough to cry. The TV had been flipped on and off. She'd picked up a book…and put it back down. She'd gone to the toilet, but had returned to her seat. No food or drink had passed her lips since breakfast that morning as her stomach had churned at the thought of telling him. She couldn't focus. She could only wait.

There was a click as the front door opened and soft footsteps crossed the hallway, halting at the entrance to the room. Muscles tensed Chriss sat, refusing to turn and look at him, obstinately keeping her back to him.

No noise. Not a sound. She couldn't even hear his breaths over her own. Sighing she let her will cave a little and twisted her head around to rest her eyes on his still form in the doorway.

Matt raised his eyes from the carpet to meet hers with emotions flickering inside. Fear. Shame. His eyes dropped back to the carpet, contemplating it.

With two short strides he was at Chriss' side and sitting beside her on the couch, strong arms wrapped around her. She let the tears fall in relief onto his shirt as he held her close and whispered words of apology and assurances that he would be there. It was going to be all right.


	4. Rose

**A/N Thank you for all the lovely reviews :) This one is Beth x Raj because I think they are cute and I usually find it really hard to write anything for them. Enjoy.**

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Rose

"Shakespeare said _"What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."_ So what's in a rose?

A rose can mean so little and yet so much at the same time.

Roses are beautiful. Their deep colours, perfectly sculpted petals, so soft and fragile. Beautiful…but so much more so when feelings are attached. This rose is the most precious and perfect thing in the world.

A passionate red rose, scarlet and deep is the one favourited by many, seen as the ultimate romantic gesture. A red rose on display is lovely in itself. A red rose given as a gift is sought after and held with a loving possessiveness.

But this rose…is so much more beautiful. This rose isn't red. Nor is it the purity of white. Each petal is pale cream moving outwards from the centre to blush a shy pale pink till the edges are darkened to blood red.

The first rose is always the most special. Each petal is all the more fragile, all the more pleasing to look at because of the feelings attached to it, the sensations it invokes. Eyes cannot be torn away as minutes pass and every part of it is visually devoured. Every intricate detail committed to memory. Time passes unnoticed as its beauty is bathed in...in the knowledge that it won't stay the same forever. I hold in my hands living silk. No photo can capture it. No words can fully describe it and no memory will ever preserve it as beautifully and perfectly as it is now.

And the understanding that it won't last…that carries a certain bitterness and desperation that miraculously doesn't taint the rose, but makes it all the more beautiful while the beauty lasts."

Beth smiled and put the rose back in its small glass of water. A two dimensional copy lay on the paper sitting in front of her where she'd been scribbling for hours to recreate the beauty of it, whispering the whole while. Now she lifted the tiny card that had been left with the delicate flower and read it again.

_For Beth. Love Raj._


	5. Reflections

**A/N Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed and have added me. I have only one more chapter written after this one and so if anyone has any ideas that they are reluctant to write themselves (though it would be really cool to see more Dramacon fics posted) then I would be happy to give it a shot, time permitting. Anyway; enjoy.**

**Based on the song 'Sometimes' by Gabrielle. **

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Reflections

A shattered glass on the floor, once a tumbler balanced on the edge of a table. Shouting resonated along and through the cylinder. The liquid inside trembled at each thump of the table as palms or fists hit it. The shouts reached a crescendo and the glass shook appreciatively. Footsteps slammed out of the house as the front door crashed shut. A yell of frustration and hands shoved into the table. The whole structure shuddered and jarred. The glass jerked off the edge and fell through the air, shattering as it hit the floor and skidding halfway across the room. Eyes followed the progress of the shards until they lay still, glittering, and then slowly closed against it all.

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A reflection in the glass of a window. Red swollen eyes, sick from crying, set on a pale drawn face. Rain traced patterns down the glass like tear tracts against her cheeks in the reflection. The eyes burned through the glass and stared at the shining jewellery on the other side placed on displays. One hand of the reflection reached up to the neck of her jacket and felt underneath it, slipping out the fine chain into the rain. Similar companion chains sat next to the reflected on in the shop and the glass fogged as a deep sigh whispered from her mouth.

The eyes in the glass darkened with anger. Her hand tightened on the chain and pendant and suddenly they cleared again, almost in resignation.

"Damn it," the mirrored image mouthed, the face knowing, the twist of the mouth rueful. The reflection turned and faded away.

--

A pair of dark sunglasses sitting on the table, one screen reflected a sullen young man with a missing eye. The other screen reflected the rest of the room and the door. A girl enters through that door timidly. The dark, sleek surface of the glasses fails to pick up the flush in her cheeks and the over brightness of her eyes.

She says something. The guy turns his head to regard her for the first time. His posture is tense and defensive. She speaks again and the tightness eases from his shoulders. He says something in return and stands, now submissive, repentant.

His arms open and she steps from one side of the glasses to the other, reuniting herself with him in one single circular disk of cut black glass.


	6. Wedding

**A/N Hey guys, sorry that you've had to wait so long for this. This was inspired by a very similar scenario that my friend experienced. I don't have any more ideas in the works for this set of oneshots so this could quite possibly be the last one, we shall see. Thank you for all your reviews and support. **

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Wedding

Chriss fiddled with the hem of her dress and shifted her weight in her seat. Why did she accept the invitation again? She must have been half asleep when she spoke to Maria over the phone agreeing to come to her wedding to Derek. She could barely even remember it happening and was only reminded of it when she received an invite in the post for Christie and guest. Matt joked that she'd agree to hand over all her personal belongings and sell herself into slavery if someone asked her before she'd had her coffee. So that was why she was sitting on this hard wooden chair outside in the sunshine in the middle of a field somewhere hoping that it wasn't going to rain.

Derek was standing in front of the rows of chairs, shifting anxiously from foot to foot, looking nervous yet excited in his smart suit. There was a gurgle of a baby and Chriss peered over a few heads to spot the child reclining in the arms of Derek's mother. The tiny fists were curled as he laughed and tugged on her clothes. Chriss decided she'd have to go see him once the wedding was over.

Again she shut her eyes and gave a short groan. If only she hadn't traded emails with Maria and become her _friend_ then she wouldn't be going through this right now. Served her right. That would teach her for getting to know her ex's fiancée. A hand dropped lightly over hers and Chriss jumped. Her eyes flew to the owner and she relaxed, a smile lighting her face.

"Matt! You're back!"

Her boyfriend chuckled and took the seat next to her.

"I only went to the bathroom Chriss," he flicked a finger in the direction of the hidden village hall. "I didn't go far."

She squeezed his hand tightly and leaned her head against his shoulder. He was right, of course, but she needed to have him near her all the time. He was her protector. He was her source of strength. She couldn't get through this without him and she really did want to sit through this wedding.

"I need to go," she'd told Matt quietly when he said to just tell Maria she was busy. "I need to go…for me."

It was all very beautiful; the sun, the flowers, the birdsong…the balloons, the confetti…everything pink and white. Chriss couldn't help but feel like a piece of confectionary.

"I don't like this dress," she complained to Matt in a low voice.

"Pretend it's a cosplay," he whispered back. "Only it's one of my sister's, not one of those disasters you make."

He grinned at the furious look on her face.

"Hey! They are not disasters! They - "

She was cut off by the bride's opening theme and was left only to silently fume for the first half of the wedding. As Matt predicted though, she got so preoccupied with the ceremony she soon forgot all about what he had said and thankfully she also seemed to forget who the groom was. Chriss became engrossed in the wedding of her friend. The fact that she still struggled to speak more than two words with Derek wasn't an issue. She was there for Maria.

The ceremony ended. Matt breathed a sigh of relief as the newly weds breezed past them down the aisle. The girls squealed and cried as they crowded around the new bride, Chriss included as Matt stepped back to watch the proceedings with an unconcerned air. Chriss smiled when she spotted him hanging back and decided to return to him…after the bouquet had been thrown.

"Ready?" Maria asked and tossed it.

Chriss stumbled a little as the rush of women hit her and was considerably surprised when the flowers dropped into her hands. She raised them aloft in triumph and waved them at Matt. She grinned at his expression.

Matt had never looked so worried in his life.


End file.
